1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical recording/reproducing optical apparatus and method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, there are various types of recording/reproducing mediums such as a disc cartridge, adapter, naked disc, or the like. Among them, disc cartridges for holding discs generally have two types, i.e., one which holds a disc having a diameter of 12 cm (hereinafter called a 12 cm disc cartridge), and another one which holds a disc having a diameter of 8 cm (hereinafter called a 8 cm disc cartridge). Such disc cartridges have an accommodating hole through which a turn table, and a chucking clamp of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus are advanced. The accommodating hole communicates with an opening which serves as a feeding passage to an optical pickup device. A shutter is mounted on each disc cartridge to open/close both the accommodating hole and the opening.
The optical recording/reproducing apparatus has a rotating section for rotating the disc at such a speed that the information can be recorded/reproduced thereon/therefrom, an optical pickup device for reading an optical signal, or recording the information, by radiating a laser beam on the rotating disc while being moved in a radial direction of the rotating disc, and a signal processing section for processing the information detected by the laser beam radiated from the optical pickup device.
Thus, when the disc cartridge is put in the optical recording/reproducing apparatus, the shutter of the disc cartridge is moved in a certain direction exposing the accommodating hole and the opening of the disc cartridge. Then, the turn table and the chucking clamp are advanced through the accommodating hole to position and chuck the disc. Continuously, the optical pickup device is linearly and reciprocally moved in a radial direction of the disc in the disc cartridge along the opening while recording/reproducing the information on/from the disc.
However, since the conventional optical recording/reproducing apparatus is capable of using only one kind of disc cartridge, there is low compatibility, i.e., both of the disc cartridges of different sizes such as 12 cm and 8 cm disc cartridges cannot be used therein.
Further, if both 12 cm and 8 cm discs are to be used, respective optical recording/reproducing apparatuses for the respective disc cartridges have to be provided, and as a result, the cost accordingly increases.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-described problems of the prior art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus capable of using disc cartridges of different sizes such as 12 cm and 8 cm disc cartridges, by selectively positioning the same on one tray.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical recording/reproducing apparatus capable of using a naked disc (without a disc cartridge) and an adapter containing an 8 cm disc, in addition to disc cartridges of different sizes, by selectively positioning the same on one tray.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus for automatically detecting the type of the recording/reproducing medium in use as being a 12 cm disc cartridge, 8 cm disc cartridge, an adapter, or a naked disc, and for automatically performing information recording and reproducing processes according to the detected recording/reproducing medium.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The above objects of the present invention will be accomplished by an optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus to accommodate disc cartridges as recording/reproducing mediums of at least two different sizes which receive respective discs of different sizes, including: a case; a tray mounted to the case and receivable into and withdrawable from the case, the tray selectively accommodating the disc cartridges; means for supporting the recording/reproducing mediums selectively positioned on the tray according to sizes of the recording/reproducing mediums, so as to prevent movement of the recording/reproducing mediums on the tray; means for detecting the sizes of the recording/reproducing mediums selectively positioned on the tray, and states of the respective discs accommodated in the recording/reproducing mediums; means for rotating the discs of the recording/reproducing mediums selectively positioned on the tray; means for recording information on and/or reproducing the information from the discs rotated by the rotating means; and a deck base for supporting the rotating means and the information recording/reproducing means, and being rotatably moved upwardly and downwardly in accordance with the reception/withdrawal of the tray with respect to the case.
The optical recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present invention includes: means for opening/closing shutters, which are slidably disposed on the recording/reproducing mediums to open/close the accommodating hole and the opening, in accordance with the reception/withdrawal of the tray with respect to the case; and means for pressing hubs of the discs accommodated in the recording/reproducing mediums, to chuck the discs onto the rotating means.
The supporting means includes a press member to contact with, and press a side of a first disc cartridge holding a disc having a diameter of 12 cm and a second disc cartridge holding a disc having a diameter of 8 cm of the at least two disc cartridges selectively positioned on the tray; a holding member mechanism to hold both sides of the second disc cartridge, to prevent movement of the second disc cartridge positioned on the tray; and a horizontality member mechanism to maintain a horizontality of the second disc cartridge with respect to a bottom of the tray.
The press member includes a press slider disposed on the tray, the press slider having a pair of hooks to be inserted into the pair of guide grooves of the tray, the press slider further having a pair of holes, a pair of press portions integrally formed at first and second sides of the press slider, to press the side of the first disc cartridge, a pair of press rods movably disposed within the respective holes of the press slider, and linearly movable, the press rods to press a side of the second disc cartridge positioned on the tray, and a pair of first coil springs disposed around the pair of press rods to elastically support the press rods toward initial positions, respectively.
The holding member mechanism includes a pair of holder brackets movably disposed at the coupling holes, respectively, to close-contact with opposite sides of the second disc cartridge positioned on the tray, wherein the holder brackets have guide pieces having upper ends of the guide pieces slanted to prevent interference occurring with a lower surface of the first disc cartridge.
Each of the horizontality members includes a pair of brackets fixed to both lower sides of the tray, a pair of bracket shafts movably disposed upward and downward on the brackets to selectively protrude through corresponding piercing holes so that the bracket shafts are inserted into the insert holes formed at a lower surface of the second disc cartridge, and a pair of second coil springs disposed between the bracket shafts and the brackets to elastically support the bracket shafts upward.
The detecting means includes first detecting means for detecting a size of the first disc cartridge on the tray and a state of the disc accommodated therein; and second detecting means for detecting a size of a second disc cartridge on the tray and the state of a disc accommodated therein.
The first detecting means includes a plurality of first detecting holes formed on the tray corresponding to the sensor holes of the first disc cartridge; and at least one sense switch attached to the deck base, to be inserted into the sensor holes of the first disc cartridge through the first detecting holes. Here, the sensor holes of the first disc cartridge include a cartridge detecting sensor hole, and a plurality of disc state detecting sensor holes. Further, the sensor switches include a first sensor switch disposed to correspond to the cartridge detecting sensor hole, and a plurality of second sensor switches disposed to correspond to the disc state detecting sensor holes. The recording/reproducing medium positioned on the tray is detected as the first disc cartridge when the first sensor switch is turned xe2x80x98onxe2x80x99.
The second detecting means includes at least one leaf switch attached to the deck base, exposed through the guide grooves of the tray, the leaf switch detecting the size of the second disc cartridge positioned on the tray by selectively contacting with the contact portions of the press rods which are moved along the guide grooves, and in response, turned on/off, a plurality of second detecting holes formed on the tray corresponding to the sensor holes of the second disc cartridge, and a photo-sensor attached to the deck base, to detect the state of the disc accommodated in the second disc cartridge by projecting a laser beam through the second detecting holes to the sensor holes of the second disc cartridge, and to receive the laser beam projected through the second detecting holes to the sensor hole of the second disc cartridge, and the recording/reproducing medium positioned on the tray is detected as the second disc cartridge when the leaf switch is in xe2x80x98onxe2x80x99 state.
The photo-sensor includes a light emitting element to project the laser beam to the diffusion lens through one of the second detecting holes of the tray, a plurality of light receiving elements disposed at positions corresponding to the sensor holes of the second disc cartridge, the light receiving elements to receive the laser beams transmitted to the sensor holes of the second disc cartridge via the diffusion lens, and a circuit board to which the light emitting element and the light receiving elements are attached and supported, the circuit board to electrically detect received laser beams received by the light receiving elements.
Further, the detecting means of the optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention further includes third detecting means for detecting a size of the adapter positioned on the tray. The third detecting means includes a third sensor switch disposed on the deck base corresponding to the A3 sensor hole formed on the adapter, and the recording/reproducing medium positioned on the tray is detected as the adapter accommodating a disc having a diameter of 8 cm when the third sensor switch is detected as in xe2x80x98offxe2x80x99 state.
Further, in the optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, a naked disc (without disc cartridge) as the recording/reproducing medium is also used. Here, the recording and/or reproducing apparatus detects that the naked disc is positioned on the tray when the first sensor switch, the leaf switch, and the third sensor switch are in xe2x80x98offxe2x80x99 state.
An optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus to accommodate a recording/reproducing medium, the recording/reproducing medium including disc cartridges of at least two different sizes which receive respective discs of different sizes, an adapter which accommodates a disc having a diameter of 8 cm, and a naked disc, the optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus, according to the present invention includes: a case; a tray mounted to the case and receivable into and withdrawable from the case, the tray selectively accommodating first and second disc cartridges of the disc cartridges, the adapter, and the naked disc; supporting means for supporting the recording/reproducing mediums selectively positioned on the tray according to sizes of the recording/reproducing mediums, so as to prevent movement of the recording/reproducing mediums on the tray; first positioning means for determining a first position of the first disc cartridge on the tray; first detecting means for detecting a size of the first disc cartridge positioned on the tray by the first positioning means, and a state of a disc accommodated in the first disc cartridge; second positioning means for determining a second position of the second disc cartridge on the tray, second detecting means for detecting a size of the second disc cartridge positioned on the tray by the second positioning means, and a state of the disc accommodated in the second disc cartridge; third detecting means for detecting the adapter positioned on the tray, and the state of the disc accommodated in the adapter; disc rotating means for rotating the discs of the recording/reproducing mediums which are selectively positioned on the tray; information recording/reproducing means for recording information on and/or reproducing the information from the discs rotated by the rotating means; and a deck base for supporting the disc rotating means and the information recording/reproducing means, and being rotatably moved upwardly and downwardly in accordance with the reception/withdrawal of the tray with respect to the case.
The first positioning means includes: a pair of first positioning pin holes formed on the tray corresponding to the insert apertures of the first disc cartridge; and a pair of first positioning pins disposed on the deck base to be inserted into the insert apertures of the first disc cartridge after being passed through the first positioning pin holes.
The second positioning means includes: a pair of second positioning pin holes formed on the tray corresponding to the insert apertures of the second disc cartridge; a rotational bracket movably disposed on the case by a hinge pin to be moved upwardly and downwardly, and having a pair of second positioning pins to be inserted into the insert apertures of the second disc cartridge after being passed through the second positioning pin holes; and
rotational bracket operating means operated by the second detecting means to rotate the rotational bracket upwardly and downwardly.
The rotational bracket operating means includes: a slider to be reciprocally and linearly moved along a pair of guide protrusions of the case, and having a pair of slanted slots formed on both sides through which the insert protrusions of the rotational brackets are inserted, coupling holes formed on a rear end of the slider, which has rack gears formed at inner circumference of the coupling holes; a motor which is a driving source for reciprocally and linearly moving the slider by being turned xe2x80x98on/offxe2x80x99 by the second detecting means; and a power transmitter for transmitting the driving force of the driving motor to the slider.
Meanwhile, a method of recording and/or reproducing information using an optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention includes the steps of: a) detecting whether the recording/reproducing mediums are positioned on the tray of the optical recording and/reproducing apparatus; b) detecting whether the recording/reproducing medium positioned on the tray is a first disc cartridge, a second smaller disc cartridge, an adapter, or a naked disc; c) detecting a state of a disc accommodated in the recording/reproducing medium; and d) recording and/or reproducing an information on the disc in accordance with the results detected in step c).
Here, the step b) detects the recording/reproducing medium positioned on the tray as being the first disc cartridge when a first sensor switch of the optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus is in xe2x80x98onxe2x80x99 state, as being the second disc cartridge when a leaf switch is in xe2x80x98onxe2x80x99 state, as being the adapter when a third sensor switch is in xe2x80x98offxe2x80x99 state, and as being the naked disc when the first sensor switch, the leaf switch, and a third sensor switch are in xe2x80x98offxe2x80x99 state.
Further, the step c) includes the sub-steps of: c1) detecting whether the disc is single-sided or double-sided; c2) detecting whether the disc is formatted or unformatted; c3) detecting whether to verify a recordable side of the disc or not; and c4) detecting whether to record or reproduce the information on/from the disc.
Further, a method of recording and/or reproducing information using an optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the present invention further includes the step of displaying information about the type, size, and recordable side of the disc, and whether the disc is formatted or not, to a user.
According to the present invention, since the disc cartridges accommodating discs of different sizes, the adapter holding the 8 cm disc, and the naked disc can be used on only one tray, the compatibility of the product is improved, and the user has more convenience when using the product. Also, the cost decreases.
Further, according to the present invention, since the information recording and/or reproducing processes are automatically performed in accordance with the state of the disc accommodated in the recording/reproducing medium on the tray, which are also automatically detected, information recording and/or reproducing time can be greatly reduced.